[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/estonia-is-giving-speeding-drivers-a-time-out\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/estonia-is-giving-speeding-drivers-a-time-out\/","headline":"Estonia Is Giving Speeding Drivers A Time Out","name":"Estonia Is Giving Speeding Drivers A Time Out","description":"Forget fines or points on your license, you\u2019re going to the naughty step Think speeding will get you to your destination quicker? Think again. In Estonia, police are currently trialling a new kind of speeding penalty. Rather than receiving a fine or points on your license, offending drivers will instead have to take a hefty time penalty of 45 or 60 minutes, depending on how severe their offence was. The innovative penalty system has just started initial testing, with it […]","datePublished":"2019-10-04","dateModified":"2019-10-23","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Estonia-Is-Giving-Speeding-Drivers-A-Time-Out-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Estonia-Is-Giving-Speeding-Drivers-A-Time-Out-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/estonia-is-giving-speeding-drivers-a-time-out\/","about":["BLOG","Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":508,"keywords":["Estonia","speeding","Speeding penalty"],"articleBody":"Forget fines or points on your license, you\u2019re going to the naughty stepThink speeding will get you to your destination quicker? Think again. In Estonia, police are currently trialling a new kind of speeding penalty. Rather than receiving a fine or points on your license, offending drivers will instead have to take a hefty time penalty of 45 or 60 minutes, depending on how severe their offence was. The innovative penalty system has just started initial testing, with it being enforced on a main road that joins the beautiful and historic city of Tallinn to the small and quaint town of Rapla. This week, the programme was enforced on Thursday only, with further tests to continue within the coming weeks.If an unlucky Estonian was caught breaking thespeed limit by 20 km\/h (12 mph) or less, they would be given a 45 minute timepenalty, and if they broke the limit by 21 km\/h – 40 km\/h (25 mph) then theywould receive a 60 minute time penalty. If they were exceeding the speed limitby more than 40 km\/h, we imagine they\u2019d be receiving a lot worse than a meretimeout. The timeout penalty had to be paid immediatelyin a parking area next to the road, meaning that the offenders who werespeeding would hopefully learn that breaking the speed limit doesn\u2019t get you toyour destination quicker. Furthermore, only those with a clean license wereeligible for the time penalty.The new approach comes as a response to the sudden increase in road incidents and fatalities that occurred in 2017. With most countries penalising speeding drivers with monetary fines, Estonia is trying an alternate route by enforcing a different kind of disincentive. Time is money after all and it could be argued that a time penalty is, in many cases, a harsher penalty than a monetary fine. There\u2019s nothing worse than someone stopping you when you\u2019re trying to get somewhere quickly.“This is part of a traffic innovationproject that aims to find new effective ways to improve road safety,” “We are investigating how speeders perceive the fine and the impact of the lost time. We know from interviews with motorists that some people consider having a conversation with a police officer and the time they take to intervene more effectively than fines.”“On the basis of these police operations, we will collect information about the reasons speeders give to justify breaking the limit. We are analyzing the impact of different interventions to find more effective solutions, because the goal is for perpetrators to actually change their behaviour, not to punish them for the sake of punishment,” said PPA innovation advisor, Elari Kasemets.Not only are the police taking away your time rather than your hard-earned money, but the Estonian law enforcement is also trying to understand the reasons behind dangerous driving behaviours such as speeding. How would you feel about being given a timeoutpenalty rather than a monetary fine? If you enjoyed this, you may also like ourarticle on \u201c5 Bizzare European Driving Laws\u201d."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Estonia Is Giving Speeding Drivers A Time Out","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/estonia-is-giving-speeding-drivers-a-time-out\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]